Thanks for the input. After I read this comment a couple of weeks ago I decided to write a post about ghost writing. The transparent/authentic social media debate can’t get more heated than with the issue of ghost writing on blogs and microblogs.

Dave Fleet suggests in his blog (cited below) that ghost blogging is a terrible idea for social media. He says that it does not matter who in the company is blogging. For instance, the author of the company blog does not have to be the CEO if he or she does not have the time, but it must be clear who the author(s) are for the blog. If the company feels like they must turn to ghost blogging, they should just find a different social media application to use. Companies should not mislead people because if they are revealed they will damage their reputation immediately. Fleet presents other ideas about ghost blogging and even cites ideas from someone who employs the technique of ghost blogging and shows that perspective.

http://davefleet.com/2009/02/ghost-blogging-wrong/

http://www.briansolis.com/2007/12/dont-throw-out-that-social-media.html

The rest of this post points out principles to reference to while creating a blog. I feel like creating a good blog will eventually lead to the authenticity and transparency that you want.

I thought you really did a great job explaining the importance of transparency and authenticity. It’s true that without trust and an openness of communication people may shy away from reading another person’s blog.

I really liked your point about how bloggers should set-up a first post or an “About” page to show their audience who they truly are. I remember reading http://fakeplasticnoodles.com, a blog written by Melanie Seasons. When I explored her blog I noticed that her posts really gave readers a sense of her personality. She also established an “About” page that really dove into her past and made me feel like I knew who she was simply by reading it. This made me believe I could trust her and the information she provided about social media.

After reading your post I explored Advergirl and her blog reminded me of Fake Plastic Noodles because both women aren’t afraid to reveal themselves and gain trust from their viewers.

I really like how you started off with the voice of new social media because in my mind it really is the very start of transparency and authenticity. Trust is the bottom line, and in order for trust to occur the voice and personality of new social media is crucial. It is the onset of openness and dialogue with your audience. The voice is also the ticket for new social media to appear real and unique. I look forward to reading more of your posts about other steps social media creators should take in order to ensure trust and honesty. It would be interesting to understand more of the ethics associated with transparency. What is ethical and what is not? Is it okay to post anonymously?

Perhaps “Tactical Transparency,” by Shel Holtz and John C. Havens, would provide some more insight on additional steps about how to ensure trust in new social media.

The book also has a website, http://www.tacticaltransparency.com/.